Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenebabubai’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Senecio  plant named ‘Sunsenebabubai’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and daisy-type inflorescences with elliptic-shaped ray florets that are violet blue and white in color.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNSENEBABUBAI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecioplant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunsenebabubai’.

The new Senecio is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Yamanashi, Japan. The objective of the program is tocreate and develop new Senecio cultivars with uniformly mounded planthabit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Senecio originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor inJanuary, 1997 of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identifiedas code number 7S-68c, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent witha unnamed selection of Senecio heritieri as the male, or pollen, parent.The new Senecio was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Yamanashi, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Shiga, Japan since March, 2000, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Senecio are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunsenebabubai has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsenebabubai’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Sunsenebabubai’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Senecio:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with elliptic-shaped ray florets        that are violet blue and white in color.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Shiga, Japan, plants of the newSenecio differ from plants of the female parent selection in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio are taller than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Senecio have larger inflorescences than        plants of the female parent selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Shiga, Japan, plants of the newSenecio differ from plants of the male parent selection in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio have larger leaves than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Senecio and the male parent selection        differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent        selection have violet blue-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the Seneciocultivar Sunsenebulbai, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,688. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Shiga, Japan, plants of the newSenecio differed from plants of the cultivar Sunsenebulbai in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio were smaller than plants of the        cultivar Sunsenebulbai.    -   2. Plants of the new Senecio had smaller leaves and shorter        petioles than plants of the cultivar Sunsenebulbai.    -   3. Plants of the new Senecio had smaller inflorescences than        plants of the cultivar Sunsenebulbai.    -   4. Plants of the new Senecio and the cultivar Sunsenebulbai        differed in ray and disc floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Senecio. This photographs shows the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Senecio.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsenebabubai’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical inflorescence of ‘Sunsenbabubai’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs, following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in Shiga, Japan during the winter in a polyethylene-coveredgreenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate thosegenerally used in commercial Senecio production. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from 5° C. to 20° C. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants wereabout five months old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri    cultivar Sunsenebabubai.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio            cruentus identified as code number 7S-68c, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Senecio            heritieri, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About four weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright and mounded plant            habit. Inflorescences positioned well above the foliar            plane. Vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 31.6 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 26.6 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching,            about 15 lateral branches per plant; pinching enhances            branching. Length: About 25.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm.            Internode length: About 3.1 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Sparsely pubescent. Color: 146C.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 6.7 cm. Width: About 6.5 cm. Shape: Roughly cordate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate; undulate.            Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower            surface: Densely pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate;            reticulate. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,            upper surface; 146A; venation, 145C. Developing and fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: 148C; venation, 145C.            Petiole length: About 4 cm. Petiole diameter: About 1.8 mm.            Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely            pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 145C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with            elliptic-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences positioned above            the foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets            developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face            mostly upright. Freely flowering habit with numerous            inflorescences developing over time per plant.            Inflorescences persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly scented.        -   Flowering response.—In Shiga, Japan, plants of the new            Senecio flower continuously from spring to autumn.            Inflorescences last about two weeks on the plant.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About            6.5 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: 146C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.8 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.6 cm. Disc diameter: About 9 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elliptic. Length: About 2 cm. Width:            About 7 mm. Apex: rounded, emarginate or praemorse Base:            Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 13 in a single whorl. Color: When            opening, upper surface: 96C; towards the base, 155C. When            opening, lower surface: 97A; towards the base, 155C. Fully            opened, upper surface: 96C; towards the base, 155C. Fully            opened, lower surface: 155C.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.            Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Number of disc            florets per inflorescence: About 115. Color, immature: 149D.            Color, mature: N92B.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About nine in a            single whorl. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 146C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: 146C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: 149D. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 17A. Gynoecium: Present on            both ray and disc florets. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma            color: 96C.        -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed on plants of the new Senecio.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Senecio have not been    shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Senecio.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed    to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C.

1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenebabubai’ asillustrated and described.